My family has been going here since the 1980s and the food never disappoints! Skip the overhyped San Tung and come here instead for some quality Chinese food. read more

An excellent place to stop and eat while in Chinatown. I had the jalapeños in soy sauce during the very short wait for my flounder in black bean sauce. It is so tender and delicious. Highly recommend. read more

Yuet Lee - Jalapeños in soy sauce. Spicy and delicious - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I've been wanting to try this place out ever since I saw it on "parts unknown" and I finally got the chance too. We ordered the beef with tender greens, wonton soup, chicken chow mein, and bbq pork fried rice. Service and food were great! read more

If you look at my reviews record, I'm a stingy 5-Star ratings guy and there was a time when I would have gladly given this place five stars because it's always been one of my favorites, stemming back from the early 80's. In fact, it was always on my restaurant recommendation list, top three! I loved them for their seafood, their originality, the stable of regular waiters who were friendly, but brutally efficient, and their drunk-friendly hours during my younger heydays. If this place was in a smaller town, I'd say they'd qualify as one of the better Chinese places, but not when you're talking about a city like San Francisco. The food is still good, but it's lost a step or two. Maybe the management or ownership has changed, but the place is definitely feeling rundown and looking dingy. It feels dated, like its better days are in the rearview mirror. Maybe the pandemic affected them in a severe way, but the Yuet Lee I know isn't this place anymore. It's no wonder that when I recommended it to some folks from out of town, their review was fairly unenthusiastic. Now I understand. I hope they get their Mojo back. I have had far too many good memories, great lunches and dinners, and fun celebrations at that place to have such an unfitting, uninspired end. Good luck Yuet Lee, I'm rooting for a comeback. read more

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There's not many places in the area that are open for late-night munchies or meals, let alone good, reliable food places. Yuet Lee is old-school and slightly old-fashioned, but the food is consistently-delicious (some friends who live in the FiDi are huge fans, and they've been serving up the area at the corner of Broadway and Stockton since 1977!) To quote the late Anthony Bourdain--"Yuet Lee... has remained one of San Francisco's most popular after-hours options for 30 years. Salt & pepper prawns are to be recommended." Other fans have included Guy Fieri, Emeril, Jacques Pepin, Jackie Chan, Saveur Magazine and the New York Times--I love how the interior is decorated with pictures of these people with owner Sam Yu. They are not on delivery apps, so get your hungry self down to Chinatown and call them on the phone to order! (415) 982-6020! I tried the roast duck wonton soup and Sun See Chow Mein--I needed that comfort food! Everything was delicious and very reasonably-priced. It's no-frills, traditional Cantonese food. Service was quick and friendly and they had hand sanitizer and signs for social distancing (both not always a given!) I'll be back to try more seafood--they offer a wide variety of dishes. There's a reason Yuet Lee has endured over the years. Support local businesses and save Chinese restaurants! read more

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If you don't know what to get, just order anything from the first page (famous chef specials) LOL you can't go wrong. True story! The food was so good. Nothing fancy. No gimmick. Just plain yummy good food. read more

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5-stars because it's open late and the food is solidly good. It's not Michelin but.... the staff is nice the food is good (porridge, pepper salt pork) open late. relatively inexpensive my late night (for SF) destination read more

** The following review reflects my takeout experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. ** It doesn't get more old-school Chinatown than this spot which has a prominent corner location on Broadway and Stockton. That's probably why they highlight a quote from the late Anthony Bourdain on their website just like Sam's down the block. As a matter of fact, it's so old-school that they're not on the familiar food delivery apps, and frankly given my spotty experiences with DoorDash, I didn't think that was such a bad thing. I actually had to (*gasp*) talk to the staff over my iPhone to make my order, and there weren't any communication issues even though I don't speak Cantonese. So there. I ordered the $14.25 Boiled Chicken with Ginger & Green Onion, and they certainly weren't stingy with the accoutrements (photo: https://bit.ly/3969WDn). They also don't debone the poultry and that was a lot of grated ginger in soy sauce, so eat slowly. I also went for the $9 Steamed Stuffed Tofu with Fish Meat. The dish probably could be more appetizingly named, but it was a huge portion of tofu with a lot of fish meat, presumably cod since it was indeed meaty. There was a lot of soy sauce poured into my tray to add to the flavor, and I have to admit I had no problem devouring it since the tofu was so easy to digest (photo: https://bit.ly/2J65vOj). I thought the staff was very friendly when I arrived for my order, and I guess it's a popular late-night stop for local pub crawls. At least that's what Tony said. FOOD - 4 stars...traditional Cantonese grub that satisfies AMBIANCE - 4 stars...clean and pure Chinatown style SERVICE - 4 stars...friendly and orderly TOTAL - 4 stars...listen to Tony, may he rest in peace RELATED - Exploring Chinatown? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2WoF1Z2 read more

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Food was great and had an amazing taste, but service was HORRIBLE! When we got there, we were seated and asked what we wanted to drink. She took our drink order and never brought them. To order our food we had to wait 15 minutes to catch their attention. We had to ask for our drinks after she brought our food. There was a huge language barrier and having to repeat myself several times. When we got our check and went to pay the lady insisted, we give a 15% tip when signing the receipt. When we told her we weren't giving a 15% tip because she clearly didn't deserve it she just laughed at us and we walked out. We will not be coming back here. read more

Great chinatown spot where we used to go out after a late night of clubbing or hanging out on Broadway. It's good to see some of these spaces still up. The restaurant industry is in need of our support and we should go out and eat at these places and enjoy their great food. Being limited to capacity restrictions and additional covid costs is not easy. In addition, the food here is great! We had salt and pepper squid which was amazing and was not overly breaded or seasoned. Also had the crunch and delicious Hong Kong pan fried crispy noodle with char siu (bbq pork). Finally we had really meaty duck and wonton soup, with bok choy (vegetable). Definitely take your friends here and enjoy this gem on the corner of Broadway and Powell. read more

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Such a Chinatown staple since forever! Service and food are always great and affordable. They even have the GSW game on TV

THE FOODS STILL GREAT AT YUET LEE !!! I haven't been here since the pandemic till now but the foods still excellent as I remember. I ordered the clams in black bean sauce and the beef with ginger and green onions. I used to order these in the past and I thought both were as good as the past. Service was friendly and efficient. read more

Yuet Lee - Clams with black bean sauce and chicken with long beans. - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place has always a good place after having a good night of drinking or just a late night meal. This place still the same decor and the same consistency of good food. The wonton soup was refreshing on a San Francisco night. My favorite was the shrimp and scrambled egg over rice and creamy. I also enjoyed the fish in bean sauce dish. A great food experience on Broadway. read more

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Good news, in walking by here in early June. The doors were open, the lights were on, and the interior looked like a working business! I asked the gentleman at the door and confirmed that they reopened on May 29, 2022 after the property owner finished required earthquake renovations that took the better part of six months. I made a point to come here for a midweek lunch. There were plenty of tables as there was only one gentleman eating towards the back of the restaurant. I chose a window table about halfway in. After studying the menu, I ordered two items, avoiding having a one note meal. My main meal was the beef w/ chow fun (rice noodle) (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=huNrpQYBbyYPEZ5AnjTOVQ&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q), aka dry stir fried beef chow fun, a classic Cantonese staple; there was a good balance of ingredients and the execution was spot on. The fun was fresh and a good quality as it was consistent in size and shape and nicely soft; I also noticed a nice glistening on the noodles. The best part was the flavor had that essential 'wok's breath' (wok hei), a smoky deep flavor in all of the ingredients. Besides, as I reached the bottom of my plate, there was no pool of oil sitting on the plate, always a good thing. The other dish was the beef w/ spicy satay sauce (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=haLKY6Q3LNrPOm7B7t9MRg&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q); this was another stir fry which included onions, green onions, bamboo shoots, carrots, and red bell peppers. That smoky flavor was there again, a good thing and the satay sauce is prominent but, unlike as described, not very if at all spicy. I generously added the table provided chili sauce () which paired well with both dishes. I actually took 2/3rd of the satay beef home for a future meal later in the week. It pairs well with white rice or a bowl of ramen. I had my own teapot so the waitress was nearby but not needed through my meal. I enjoyed the food here and will happily return. read more

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My junior high classmate and her family visited my home town SF during the second week of June. After we finished walking down Lombard Street ( the crooked part), we were too late to eat at R&G Lounge ( for it's famous dungeon crab in 40+ styles), so we went into Yuet Lee 悅利 due to its late hours ( closed at 11pm). Yuet Lee ran out of crabs, so we ordered porridge twice( $11.50 each) , salt n pepper pork chops ( $17) Singaporean vermicelli ($17-20) and beef bok choy $18-20). Tastes were not bad but each dish's portion was small for the price we paid. We didn't want to complain about the restaurant but to blame it all to inflation!!! I felt like having 8 dishes instead of the 4 we had that night to satisfy my empty stomach... after I sent my friends back to their hotel and I headed home for a bowl of vermicelli , leftover rice, plus some leftover dishes. read more

Authentic Cantonese food... only in San Francisco! From Pier 43-1/2 we walked a mile towards Chinatown but before actually arriving in Chinatown we stopped here to have an early dinner. Located on the corner of Broadway and Stockton Streets inside isn't very big. Mostly two seater tables along the aisle but there was one big round table deep inside that was able to accommodate all 12 of us. Don't expect fancy dining here. The building is older and space is small... but the food is delicious and service was excellent. Owner, Sam Yu, even suggested a few authentic dishes that I haven't tried before including the Prawns with Scrambled Eggs. We stuck to the more traditional classics like Beef With Chinese Broccoli, Prawns Chow Mein, Salt & Pepper Crispy Spareribs, Beef With Mongolia Sauce, and all types of fried rice: Beef, Shrimp, and BBQ Pork Fried Rice (we had a lot of kids with us). Food was pricy but very good and tummies were happy. Outside window boasts of pictures of the owner himself with food celebrities -- Emeril, Anthony Bourdain, Sam Choy (American chef), Guy Fieri (American restaurateur), Samantha Brown (Travel Channel Host), Jacques Pépin (French chef), Saveur Magazine and the New York Times... and Jackie Chan! LoL Curious about the restaurant name? Owner, Sam, combined his parent's last names in order to name his new restaurant: Yuet after his father and Lee after his mother. Review #1635 read more

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This used to be my favorite restaurant in the city, reasonably priced, fresh and delicious seafood. That is no longer true, the clams in black bean sauce which was wonderful is now a tired brown gravy with a few black beans and some jalapeño. The full order of salt and pepper calamari was a small plate of salty no pepper calamari. Good bye Yuet Lee your best days are clearly in the past. I will remember you for what you were and never return. read more

They have the best Hainan chicken in Chinatown! Perfectly cooked if you're ever craving this. Food's fast as well. read more

Yuet Lee - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

The salt and pepper squid was just ok. But the steam rice was terrible. Steam rice is supposed to be fluffy with individual grains being tender. Instead they served rice that after two bites I wanted to leave and pay my bill. When steam rice is cooked you can tell by looking if it is good or not. The waitress offered to do the rice over again but you can't redo rice if it was cooked wrong. All you would be doing is stirring from the same pot. If I can cook steam rice better at home, that shows how far the gap is between my cooking and theirs. Now I still gave a $10 tip on top of the $21 bill but that was because I felt sorry for them running the business down into the ground. If a restaurant can't cook steam rice properly, it is going to close up from lack of customers. The waitress can tell by scooping the rice that it does not look right. read more

We were looking for dim sum and ended up trying this place instead since we saw a photo of Guy Fieri at the entrance (apparently he and Anthony Bourdain recommended this place). The place is certainly a dive, which counts as being authentic Chinese in my book. Our waiter is very nice and doesn't make fun of my terrible Chinese. We ordered yang chow fried rice and chef special chow mein. The food came out quickly and they were delicious, which is great since we were hungry. I'm going to come back to try the duck next time. read more

Just had dinner there. I always saw excellent reviews so I decided to try it. Let's start with the Chinese broccoli aka gai lan. The taste is very standard. They did not peel off the outer layer of the stalk making it very stringy. If the gai lan was much thinner and younger ( gai lan mui) then it would be better. These gai lan was a bit more older and the unpeeled stem is a bit too chewy The clam In garlic and black bean sauce was okay nothing to write home about pretty standard fare. I feel that it can be better by balancing the garlic and black bean sauce better The last dish the Peking spareribs. The sauce was a bit too heavy with too much of a cornstarch slurry. We wanted to have a steamed fish they had it on the menu but was not available. When leaving we noticed that their fish holding tank was dry. read more

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Just found my favorite late night spot to enjoy delicious authentic Chinese food! Yuet Lee in the Chinatown District of San Francisco opens at 11am to 11pm everyday! They have been around since 1977. Also, Jackie Chan ate here before !! I saw a picture of him and the owner on the wall. Oooh, I learned that Anthony Bourdain ate here before as well. It's a recommend spot - amazing! We ordered the following: - Roasted Duck (half) - delicious - Salt & Pepper Crispy Spareribs (Pork Chops) - best pork chops I've ever had in my life. The right amount of crispy and softness! - Pan Fried Crispy Noodles w/ Shrimp, Mushroom, and Bok Choy! - Tsingtao beers Also, I want to give y'all a heads up that many of the items are in the pricy side like $15 and up but the quality of the dishes is worth it. I will definitely be back to try more dishes here! Check them out when you're around the area! Reviewed by IG eatswithkatheerinna read more

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Classic SF fare that hit the spot. Beef chow fun, Hong Kong style chow mein were both delicious!

The most mediocre Chinese food I tried over the past year or so. I've read several really enthusiastic reviews about this legendary place and was ready to at least a better quality of food (I'm not even talking about the interior). The noodle soup with duck was tasteless. I had a feeling that there was no broth, just water in which noodles were boiled plus a couple of bok Chou leaves. And as for duck... there were 5-6 small pieces from the most bony part of it. So it was almost impossible to find any meat in this dish. My husband had seafood chow mein and said that it was not bad. That's why I'm putting 3 stars instead of one. Also can't tell that this place has some special OG atmosphere. For me it was just old, noisy eatery which tries to impress people by the same old pictures of celebrities who have eaten there in the past. read more

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First of all, this place is HELLA expensive. I don't think I'll be coming here anytime soon. Too bad the chinese restaurant I go to on Broadway closed. I've been to Yuet Lee a long time ago, and I mean YEARS ago and now I remembered why. I guess just because they had celebrities decades ago coming here, they can charged high for their dishes. The food was good but with all the other available Chinese restaurants around, I suggest visiting other locations. read more

Overall small location very friendly staff. Very attentive and Fried Rice cooked perfectly as well as the pork dumplings. I have had better orange chicken. Overall satisfaction 80% would visit again read more

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As a Chinese, I think the food is average and a bit overpriced, but the problem is they've a rude restaurant owner

Okay, YUET LEE never, never disappoints!!! My wife and I spent some time today in The City. Went to the SF Zoo, GGP, and then were craving Chinese. Yuet Lee immediately popped into my head. We had the prawns chow mein, sweet and sour pork, and BBQ pork fried rice. Yes I know this sounds pedestrian to some of you, but when we're craving comfort food these are our go to menu items. And these were PERFECT! I first ate here back in the 80's when Broadway used to be the strip to cruise on Fri/Sat nights. It was EXCELLENT then and it's EXCELLENT now. That's 35+ years of consistency! Try it for yourself, you will not be disappointed! read more

Good restaurant that opens until late. Food is delicious. Service is nice. I like scramble eggs with shrimp over rice. read more

Yuet Lee - Pick up only for now - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Best. Noodles. Ever. Also they are really big on tipping and are not shy to call you out. Pretty divey, cleanliness is not a top priority. But none of that will detract me from coming back for the chow mein. It's the perfect amount of crisp to the noodles that I have yet to find anywhere else. read more

Got the beef chow mein and the fried rice. Everything was super fresh and very well seasoned. The lady that served us was very nice and quick. The place is clean and has some nice pictures on the wall. Definitely want to come back. :) read more

I haven't been here in ages, but Yuet Lee has certainly been around in SF Chinatown for ages. Correctly or incorrectly, I've always associated it with being more of a tourist-centric spot. This time, I was invited by a friend to join her and her mother, both of whom have great taste in Cantonese cuisine, and was pleasantly pleased with our meal. Definitely Get: The whole steamed fish, simply, but deliciously prepared with ginger, green onions and cilantro. It's my favorite method of preparation, and it was executed flawlessly. Moist, tender, flaky. I could eat this everyday, seriously. We also had a veggie, which I don't know the English or Chinese name to, but it's in my picture, and it belongs within the cauliflower family. It's something that isn't on many menus that I've seen, and it was done well. The deep fried tofu itself was good, but I didn't care for the sauce that topped it. I'm not into sauces at all, and the tofu would've certainly held its own sans any sauce of any kind. The salt and pepper calamari was good, and is a dish listed as one of their specialties. I probably would venture trying other dishes before doing a repeat of this. They also serve lobster, which looked really darn good! So good that I'm tempted to return simply to get that. I believe it was approximately $35.00/lb., which isn't at all bad, given that it would easily be twice as much in a haute restaurant. No ambiance to speak of. No thrills, no frills, basic hole in the wall place, with corresponding service, but good food, if you select correctly, at a very good price point. read more

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I've been going to this restaurant for years. I even remember coming here as a child when my parents would take me here. I went last evening and ordered three items to go. You can see from the receipt that they charged me a tip without permission. They've lost my business for this unscrupulous action. read more

Yuet Lee - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Randomly walking into this establishment I didn't think much. To be honest I wasn't too hungry and just needed to use a restroom. But I sat down because the owner was super friendly and inviting. I ordered a few items just to taste try and I'm glad I did. The squid was amazing, not oily one bit and was crunchy and the seasonings adhered, the dipping sauce was a must have and the nice squeeze of lemon just added a right amount of extra citrus although it is not needed, just the squid itself was surprisingly tasteful, I would enjoy drinking a nice cold brew in the summer time indulging on this addictive appetizer. The clams didn't taste old, they seemed fresh and the black bean sauce is what I'm accustomed to eating when I order anything black bean. It was cooked to perfection. The beef chow fun had a great amount of noodles (some places I go to skimp out on the noodles for some reason) and the beef was tender, I can tell it was most likely marinated prior and tenderized to get that soft effortless bite. I have yet to try the numerous dishes here but when I come back to S.F. I will order multiple dishes with a big group and be able to try a variety to see how the rest of the dishes are executed! I don't expect much service in an Asian establishment, but their service was great! My water and tea was refilled numerous times and they were aware and attentive if I needed anything. read more

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Nice little Chinese restaurant on the corner of Broadway and Stockton St. The food is tasty, prices are reasonable, and portion is good. read more

Yuet Lee - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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grabbed a quick take out order from this place and couldn't be more pleased. i definitely recommend the bbq pork fried rice. service was great and quick. i'll be back for sure! read more

Yuet Lee has reOpened as of memorial weekend!!!! Time to return & enjoy some canto cuisine! read more

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Omg 1. Please try the seafood soup : this is one of the dishes that they're known for. The broth was light and clean. Soup came with fat chunks of fish, squid, shrimp, and bok chuy. So dang good especially with soy sauce and jalapeños added 2. Salt and pepper squid : the best. The best , the best. Perfect balance of salt and seafood my god this is good. If you love fried calamari please try this dish they're known for. Make sure you dip the squid in the jalapeno salt sauce they bring you. 3. House chow Mein : also good. Skinny noodles. I always add the chili sauce . Yum Apparently some of the 49ers have eaten here. Locals love it. You wont have to deal with tourists and still get quality Chinese food: read more

It's been a long time since I had Chinese food o I might be biased, but the food was delicious. We ordered the bbq pork fried rice and bbq pork chow mein (unintentionally). What we love about Chinese food is also what we hate - the oil. A little too much in these dishes, but nonetheless we finished both without leaving any crumbs. read more

Yuet Lee - BBQ Pork Fried Rice - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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If you like authentic Chinese then this the place, o need for the fru fru stuff. Get the salt/pepper jumbo prawns, salted fish fried rice and the Peking pork chops. .. service is great, ambiance ? There is non, don't expect this place to be fancy, but the food is definitely up there. Been coming here for over 10 years, still a good place to hit up late nights read more